Google says it will stop tracking users as third-party cookies phase out

Google said it will not track users as they browse online or use trackers in their products once third-party cookies are phased out from its Chrome browser.

In a blog post published Wednesday, the company said its products will be powered by tech aimed at preserving privacy and thwarting the practice of tracking individual users.

"People shouldn’t have to accept being tracked across the web in order to get the benefits of relevant advertising," said David Temkin, Google's director of product management, ads privacy and trust, in a statement. "And advertisers don't need to track individual consumers across the web to get the performance benefits of digital advertising."

Third-party cookies have played an integral role in the digital advertising business. The cookies store user data to help improve the experience you have on a website, and will track your activity online as well as serve targeted ads.

In this file photo taken on February 04, 2019 a picture taken on February 5, 2019 shows the Google logo displayed on a tablet in Paris.
In this file photo taken on February 04, 2019 a picture taken on February 5, 2019 shows the Google logo displayed on a tablet in Paris.

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The move won't mark the end of targeted advertising but give internet users more of a say in what they see.

"They're going to have a lot more control from a privacy perspective," said Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives. "And many may opt in and decide not to change any of their settings."

Recently, Apple announced an update to its iOS 14 platform for iPhones and iPads that will feature a tool called App Tracking Transparency to alert users to how their data is being tracked.

The feature has drawn the ire of Facebook, which claims businesses will have to turn to other sources of revenue that could benefit Apple financially. The social network is rolling out its own privacy prompt in response.

Temkin said there are enough advances in technology that can keep users data private while serving the needs of advertisers without the use of cookies.

"Keeping the internet open and accessible for everyone requires all of us to do more to protect privacy — and that means an end to not only third-party cookies, but also any technology used for tracking individual people as they browse the web," said Temkin.

Google, Facebook and Amazon have dominated the share of the U.S. digital ad market. According to a June 2020 report from research firm eMarketer, the trio was forecast to account for more than 62% of digital ad revenue by the end of 2020.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Google says it will no longer track users after cookies phase out